Little Falls transcript., 1887-06-10
being noiseless-are bound to leave
their scars upon the brain.

that her frlend-for he did seem that
to her should be at times so unfriend-
like.
Among men he passed for a light of
heart, careless kind of fellow, gener-
Gus, is q little cold, but always ready
to lift Il burden for another, though
never letting any one come too near
his own. They sat without talking
for a while feeling silence was the best
in that lovely spot where one was so
close to nature he could almost feel
her warm, odorous breath on his
cheek.
DR.. Holt was first to speak:
"Miss Lucia, ! wonder what you are
thinking about? Do you know, your
thoughts seem to float in your eyes
like fish in stream, always there
just below the surface, but not al
ways easy to seize.
ut is very tantalizing in you. You
look as ii you had something to i'm
part, and a body gets to wondering
and wondering what it is, until he
finds himself doing nothing else"
II really think you ought to stop it,
or else crafty very blamaless curios-
ity."
She opened her purple eyes wide,
and giving him one OF her long, inclus-
i've looks, which seemed to adopt one
into her thoughts along with the
Beautiful things already there, answer
ed slowly:
Would you really like to know?
Why, was just thinking if l We're rich,
what great things would do for this
L 1c row 10 f~ ho
it? There are SO few things you can
do"
He leaned forward, picked up q
stone, and threw it into the water.
"Yes, it is terrible to be poor. !
sometimes wonder what good excuse
| q poor man can offer for living"
| His tone was SO bitter that the girl
made haste to say:
"You should not talk that way; it
is wicked"
"Shouldn't I? Well. perhaps not.
Somebody does say that poverty
comes by Divine gift as we'll as riches,
and suppose it is intended as a sort
OF grist-mill for ones superfuous
pride; but when everything in mans
nature seems to run into that there's
not much OF the poor fellow LETT by the
time the grinding is over. There is
! one thing, however," strengthening
himself up and looking across the riv-
! er, that is unpardonable, and that
Is for q man without money or pros
poets OF money to indulge himself in
that madness OF the heart called love.
He must keep that organ empty un-
til his pockets are filled, for a full
heart and slim purse are an ill.,
mated pair. Any other course is
sheer lunacy, and should be plea suf-
hclent for Imprisonment in the asylum
for lido ts."
He paused a moment for Lucia to
answer, but as she did not speak he
continued in the same strain with
whimsical persistence, jeering at love
| and lovers, and especially at those
silly folk who "married for q senti-
,nent, with nothing substantial to
feed it Oh, or themselves either, for
that matter"
Still Lucia did not interrupt him.
He kept his eyes fixed on the fields
to the south, and seemed unconscious
OF the vehemencs of his ords.
IA man commits a. wrong when he
asks girl to marry him and has moth
ing to & i've her but his love. 1t is des-
picable in him, and sintully weak in
! her to permit it. 1t is her simple
duty to refuse him, as she would
confirmed drunkard Or any other in
durable.
'This bread and cheese and kisses
sentiment will do very we'll for a
novelist to use as peg on which to
hang Il lot OF sentimental twaddle,
but it will not do for practical life
And in this world we have to be
practical.
"a girl ought to marry a man who
can provide for her, and if she has
choice between a rich suitor and a
poor one, she will be very silly indeed
to let a foolish fancy that anybody
can out live stand in the way of her
| fure-well, comfort, or whatever the
modern name for happiness is"
There was a curious strain in his
voice toward the last, and he tried to
loosen it by q forced laugh, adding,
as ii to himself "God must have
| been intended exclusively for thepoor,
| for they can love him, at any rate,
| without committing SIM
Lucie rose. There was a faint flush
! on her dark cheeks now.
IF you have quite finished we will
go home. You recited your lesson
well, and hope, feel the pleasure that
arises from a consciousness of
having done ones duty. 1t was just
a. trifle snperhuous, though, to waste
so much str ong rhetoric on me, for I
never had the slightest intention Of
marrying a poor man."
She gathered her dress round her as
she spoke, and proceeded to climb up
the bank, disdaining his prof1ered as
sissance, and, alas! not seeing the
panied and weary look in his eyes-a
look as OF one worn out in life's strug-
gle. And he could not guess that the
| proud little heart was almost burst
ing, and that tears were falling silently
one by one, or the slim young figure
was carried as erect as ever, and the
head never once dropped as she walk
ed on before him.
through the March woods, with
mountain of misunderstanding be-
tween them.
The sun covered up his head behind
the hills, and the air grew chill. As
they neAred Lucia's home they met
John Terrell coming out.
He was good-looking man, tall
and well put together, but with GER
tain patronizing manner which was
very exasperating at times. A fine
town house, large interests in railroad
companies, banks, etc, in connection
with his .thirty-five years Of confirmed
bachelorhood, made him quite lion
in rural society a~~ -"
| While very general, however, in his
! choice OF feminine friends and &C.